Allison’s Book Report - “Look in the Mirror” by Catherine Steadman

It's been a while since I read and reviewed a thriller in the Book Report. I occasionally go through phases where all I want to read are thrillers, but after a while, they start to run into each other, and all of the stories feel the same, and I have to take a break. I've been on a bit of a thriller hiatus this summer, but lucky for you suspense lovers, I am back with a perfect way to get back into it.

“Look in the Mirror” by Catherine Steadman is a total page-turner that had me in a chokehold from the first page to the last. Nina is still reeling from the loss of her father when, as she is tying up all of his loose ends, she discovers that he has left her a property in the British Virgin Islands. It's a beautiful, tropical vacation home she had no idea existed. The house is extraordinary - state-of-the-art, with lots of glass and marble, and more extravagant than anything Nina's dad had ever owned. How did her sensible father come into enough money for this? Why did he keep it from her? What else was he hiding?

 Meanwhile, Maria, who was once an ambitious medical student, is now a nanny for the super-rich. It pays better, and it takes her to some of the most amazing destinations on Earth. Just one more nanny job, and she will be financially set to follow her real dreams. But when her new wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home in their amazing tropical mansion. Maria spends her days luxuriating by the pool and in the sauna. There’s just one rule: don’t go in the basement. That room is off-limits. But her curiosity might get the better of her. And soon, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid.

The dual storylines make “Look in the Mirror” a quick and fluid read. If you're anything like me, you will stay up all night to learn more about this house and how Nina and Maria are connected. I love when a thriller sucks you in and keeps you guessing, and “Look in the Mirror” did precisely that.

Now that my thriller hiatus is done, maybe all the ones collecting dust on my shelves all summer will finally get the attention they deserve. Pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader and weigh in on your favorite thrillers and which one you think I should read next.